Policies for Social Media
Social media can be utilized in a variety of manners to accomplish many personal and professional goals. Understand how you portray yourself to the public through these platforms and what conversations you indulge in can have a major impact on your professional and personal life. Treat your social media platforms with the same policies you would implement in your face-to-face conversations and interactions, and you will successfully build an online community that reflects who you are in a positive manner.
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Authenticity
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Authenticity is a major component in using social media effectively, both in individual and professional capacities. Being a genuine voice on a social media platform and speaking truthfully allows people to connect with you through the electronic barriers social media can erect. Unlike face-to-face interactions, we need to be able to recognize an authentic person through their words and online demeanor in order to make a positive connection. People are hypersensitive to the nature of a person's social media messages and persona in our technologically savvy world, and dishonest or "spammy" interactions are immediately flagged and blocked by most users.
Transparency
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Transparency is linked closely with the concept of authenticity in social media. Actually portraying yourself in a truthful manner is vital for any social media presence, because so much information is available online. If you are not who you claim to be, someone can discover this fact rather quickly and destroy any online credibility you may have created. Transparency is particularly important for business identities and professionals connecting and promoting in the online space of social media. Tell people upfront you represent a business or a corporation so they know who they are communicating with and can tailor their message appropriately.
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Conversation Etiquette
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When using social media platforms based around conversations, such as Twitter, there is a certain etiquette that should be adhered to that mirrors an in-person conversation. People communicate directly with one another on Twitter using the "@username" tag in a tweet. This sends the tweet directly to the person's account and they can have a direct conversation everyone can watch and follow. If you are going to jump into the conversation, be sure your message is relevant to the discussion and that you acknowledge your interruption, just as you would in a real conversation. When posting to a public wall space, such as Facebook or MySpace, be sure to use an appropriate tone and language. Also, be aware of which communications are public versus which message options are private. Mixing these options up could have drastic social implications and be very embarrassing for everyone involved.
Longevity of the Message
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The actual content and words you publish using your social media accounts can live online for many years or generations after it is posted. People are now referring to Facebook pages and Twitter activity when hiring potential candidates for a job. While the interactions may recycle rapidly on sites like Twitter and Facebook, the actual content can show up in Google searches for associated keywords for long periods of time. Content is republished and passed around for audiences across the globe and a simple video posted on YouTube can become viral in a matter of hours. Be sure what you say in any online space reflects your true intentions and will not embarrass you if certain demographics, or future employers, find your content and share it.
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References
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